ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. march — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. roll — a list
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cue — for pool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com